There are many who think that because God is kind and merciful, that although they ignore Him and His way, that when He calls them to stand before Him, He will overlook their sins because He is kind and merciful.
Yet scripture tells us this is not the case...
Romans 2:3-5 (ESV) Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
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And in another place scripture says...
Deuteronomy 7:9-10 (ESV) Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.
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And again, our Lord says...
Exodus 20:5-6 (ESV) You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
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As well as...
Exodus 34:6-7 (ESV) The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands,forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
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You will usually find this sort of thinking with unbelievers.
That no matter what they do or how they live, that upon death, God will simply forgive them because He is kind and merciful.
Just like the devil and his angels, they recognise that God is real and are able to identify attributes that God does indeed have.
Unlike the devil and his angels, they fail to take into consideration the other attributes of God.
God's righteousness. God's holiness. God's justice.
It's these characteristics of God that causes Him to say...
Ezekiel 18:4 (ESV) Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.
It's these characteristics that sees all of mankind as condemned.
Romans 3:23 (ESV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
So then, we see that God's mercy and loving kindness doesn't do away with His holiness and righteousness.
Because of this, the mercy and loving kindness has a purpose behind it. That purpose is to draw one towards God.
To have them recognise that they are undeserved of the mercy and loving kindness that is shown towards them.
They would then turn from their sins (repent), recognise that Christ Jesus is Lord/King/God, and walk in humble obedience to His commands.
Those who see God's mercy and loving kindness as a get out of jail free card, do not acknowledge Christ's rightful place over them.
They have no desire to submit to the authority of Christ.
So how is it they expect to be welcomed by God?
They are able to do this because they've erected for themselves, an idol, who is not about justice, righteousness, or holiness.
They recognise the loving kindness of God towards them, but they inflate that to be all God is and does.
Romans 1:19-21 (ESV) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
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The aspects of God that they ignore are the aspects that made it necessary for Christ to die on the cross for the sins of all those who would come to Him.
Isaiah 53:4-5 (ESV) Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
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It's because of this act in time, that one can receive the true blessing of God, which is to know Him and be known by Him.
Galatians 4:4-6 (ESV) But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
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Those who recognise God's authority over their lives and act accordingly are those whom God has demonstrated His love towards.
Romans 5:8 (ESV) ...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:10 (ESV) For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
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When speaking about God, we must remember that His love and mercy is not so great that it over powers God's righteousness and justice.
As it is written...
Hosea 2:19 (ESV) And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
Amen
